The benefits of shopping small and local

Are you looking for new places to visit and wanting to support good causes and great people in Vicksburg?

Or maybe you want to find vintage treasures but don’t know where to look in Vicksburg?

Whether you want in on some thrifty secrets or want to help these causes out, you’ve come to the right place. Firstly, you should know a little bit about why buying secondhand clothing is more sustainable for the environment. Only 10% of the clothing donated to thrift stores gets sold, and then it is sent to rag houses. From there, it is sent to landfills.

Shopping thrift stores is an opportunity for the citizens of Vicksburg to reduce their carbon footprint because most department stores use sweatshop labor to steal designs from smaller brands and mass produce it. These stores are what one may call fast fashion. Examples of this include Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret, Urban Outfitters, GAP, Fashion Nova, Shein, Romwe, Pretty Little Thing, H & M, Zara, Adidas, Asos, Hot Topic, and the list goes on.

This information is not to discourage you from purchasing from these companies, but to consider better options before you do.

Considering Vicksburg has low access to sustainable brands, my best advice is to support your local thrift/charity shops, visit garage sales in neighborhoods like Openwood Plantation, and utilize online resources to find ethically made clothes.

The first place you should give a visit is River City Rescue Mission at 3705 Washington Street. This organization uses the money from their thrift store to fund a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. They also feed the hungry and help people in need with clothing and basic necessities. Every time I visit this place, the atmosphere is friendly and helpful, and I enjoy taking some time to look through the fairly priced items throughout the shop.

Two other wonderful places in Vicksburg you should stop by for the antique aspect is the Open Marketplace and Levee Street Marketplace.

The Open Marketplace is located at 2133 Washington Street and is open 10am-6pm Wednesday-Saturday. You can find a variety of handmade items, collectibles, and antiques that are decades old. You will be greeted by a friendly staff and old fashioned, bottled sodas.

Levee Street Marketplace has a very similar energy but features a large collection of vinyls that are a blast from the past, a huge candy and snack selection, and lots of art and crafts made by citizens of Vicksburg. The address is 1001 Levee St and it is open from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

If you are a vintage freak like me and you want more authentic finds in Vicksburg, I highly recommend keeping an eye out in bigger neighborhoods for garage and estate sales, checking out Facebook Marketplace, and supporting your locally owned business like the ones listed above to keep our community growing.